Life-saving suit.



-1.. min/HEC.

LIFE SAVING SUIT.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 28.1917.

l 957g l @s Patented Heb. 19, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. Nl-EMIEC.

LIFE SAVING SUIT.

APPLicAloN FILED APR.'2B. 1911.

1,257,. Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 5 umu/Coi JOSEPH NIEMIEC, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO J' AN TREN'JDEL,

OF'HAMTRAMCK, MICHIGAN.

LIFE-SAVING SUIT.

Patented Feb. 19, 1318.

Application led April 28, 1917. Serial No. 165,109.

To all 'whom t may concern.

Be it 4known that l, JOSEPH NIEMIEC, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, resident of yNewark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Live-Saving Suits, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to improvements in life saving suits, and has as its principal object the provision of means whereby a shipwrecked person may be enabled to keep afloat for a considerable period of time irrespective of the depth of water or attendant vicissitudes.l v v A further object is the provision of a suit which may be inflated by the user, the lower limbs of Whom are protected against the attacks of fishes or marine animals, and a still further object is to provide a signaling apparatus whereby a light is displayed, .together with a device so that attention may 'be attracted to a person wearing the same.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction 'and combination of parts hereafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view indicating the application of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same, parts being broken away in order to disclose the interior.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view of the air supplying means.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental side elevational view of the pump employed.

' Fig. 5 is a fragmental sectional view, showing the signal.

Fig. 6 :is another side elevational view of the invention, the view being taken in a di fierent plane from that of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view showing a modification of the invention, and

Fig. 8 is a partial vertical sectional view of the same.

,v The invention comprises an interior, rigid cylinder 10, open at both ends and surrounded at its upper end by a fixed beveled ring 11, at opposite sides of which may be attached straps 12. adapted to engage with the shoulder of the user.

Surrounding the cylinder 10 is a dattened, globular envelop 14, the same being composed of some atable material and which is securely attached at the lower end of the cylinder, extensions below the cylinder forming in effect a casing for the lower limbs and terminating in a covering 16 for the feet.l both of these lower elements being provided with a plurality of sharp, outstanding spurs 17 adapted to discourage the attacks of fish and the like in an obvious manner.

A casque 20 is engaged to the ring 11 by means of bolts having winged nuts 21, operable from the interior of the apparatus, the upper end of the casque terminating in a. dome-shaped helmet 22, in the front side of which is set a glass vpiece 23 for the purpose of observation, the structure being impenetrable by water and permitting the user to be entirely submerged.

Arranged on top ofthe helmet 22 is a standard 25 carryin an electric lamp 26, and if preferred, a visible signal 27 such as is indicated.

ln order to provide electric energy for the lamp 26, a battery 30 is secured within the cylinder 10, from which leads the wire 31,

up to the top of the helmet 22, through the hollow standard 25, to the lamp, as best shown in Fig. 5.

Also secured within the cylinder 10 are a pair of pump cylinders 36, in which operate plungers 37 by means of the rods 38, actuated through the hand levers 39, Jliulcrumed at 40 within the cylinder, the handles 39 being convenient of access to the party using the apparatus.

Air enters through the openings 42, which extend above the upper surface of the indatable buoy 1d, the inlets being provided with valves 43, held normally upward by springs d4, so as to prevent the inlet of water should the device be submerged, and which are operable by the downward movement of the plungers 37, causing a partial vacuum to exist in the pipes 45.

An upper movement of the levers 39 forces the air through the pipe and branches 46 into the helmet, while the other plunger,

similarly arranged, supplies air to 14. through the branch 48.

ln the modification shown in Figs. 7 an 8, there is engaged with the envelop a cylin der 60, in the walls oi which there area plurality of perforations 61, the lower end of the cylinder extendin below the envelop and ign connec with a globular mnthe buoy lill@ tainer 62, the same having imperforate walls, as does the lower end of the cylinder 60, and in which may beplaced a quantity of calcium carbid 63 or like chemical, the same being capable of producing a gas when moistened, so thaty the envelop 14 may be inated. j

The entrance of a small quantity of water is provided for by thevalve 65, closely adjacent to the cylinder 60, the same having an extending spring depressed end 66, thereby providing means whereby the apparatus may be buoyantly inflated should the occupant be unable to operate the pump or the same be out of condition for use.

From the foregoing, it Will be evident that a device has been disclosed which is capable of containing an occupant for a ctlsiderable period w ile in the water, and that the occupant is well protected against damage from the sea as well as provided with means for securing a fresh and abundantl supply of air at such times as maybe re ulre aving thus described my invention, what ters Patent, is I In a device of the class described, the'com bination with a rigid cylinder, an 'inatable, flexible jacket surrounding' said cylinder, casings formed with'said jacket adapted to receive the lower limbs of a person, spurs on the exterior of said casings, a casque removably engaged with saidcylinder, a helmet mounted thereabove, an, electric light disposed above-said helmet, a vbattery supplying current to said electric light carried in said cylinder, a pump in the interior of said cylinder for forcing air Within said casque, a second. pump 'in said cylinder adapted to inflate said envelop, a pair of air valves extending above the normal submerging line of sai envelop, means in said valves for normally preventing the intrusion of- Water, and means for operating 'either of said pumgs independentlyj.

ereof I have aixed my Inv testimony w slgnature.

JOSEPH NIEMI'EC. 

